After enduring seasons of deafening silence, the executive producers of ABC's iconic "The Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" franchise finally broke their silence, confronting the longstanding specter of racism hovering over the reality dating series in a candid interview with the L.A. Times. Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner, the masterminds behind the franchise, delved into numerous aspects, highlighting the glaring lack of diversity and inclusivity, the failure to safeguard the stars, and the reluctance to openly discuss or use the word "racism" on camera. This heartfelt dialogue occurred mere days before the July 8th premiere of "The Bachelorette's" latest season, which featured Jenn Tran, the franchise's first Asian woman to helm the show.
"It's a bitter pill to swallow," Graebner confessed, "that people of color didn't find themselves reflected in our shows, or perceived 'The Bachelor' franchise as a haven of safety. We shamefully went 15 years without a Black lead, and it fostered a vicious cycle. It's been a Herculean task to reclaim a path towards positivity."
The producers candidly expressed their dismay with how Matt James' groundbreaking season unfolded. In 2020, James made history as the franchise's first Black lead, yet his season was soon mired in controversy when photos of finalist Rachael Kirkconnell at an Old South-themed fraternity event resurfaced, depicting her in a plantation setting. The situation escalated further when former host Chris Harrison's insensitive remarks downplayed the severity of the situation in an interview with the franchise's first Black Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay. Subsequently, Harrison stepped down from his nearly two-decade-long role.
"I'll be brutally honest — we let Matt down," Graebner lamented. "That season was a disaster on every level. We failed to safeguard him as we ought to have. The finale of that season was the darkest hour in our franchise's history. We should have been rejoicing in this exceptional Black man's love story, but instead, we witnessed a man weighed down and besieged by issues of racism. It was profoundly heartbreaking for me." Freeland and Graebner pledged to prioritize casting a Black Bachelor in the near future and to rectify the mistakes of James' season.
More recently, during the emotional "Women Tell All" segment of "The Bachelor's" past season, Rachel Nance, a contestant of Filipino, Black, and Arab descent, bravely recounted the wave of racist remarks she endured on social media following her hometown episode. She recounted the hurtful messages, revealing the pain and struggle she faced. Jesse Palmer, the current host of the franchise, offered a heartfelt apology to Nance, saying, "I am profoundly sorry that you and your family had to endure such cruelty." He notably refrained from using the term 'racism' but asked the audience to raise their hands if they had ever been subjected to hatred online.
When questioned about the handling of Nance's online racist ordeal, Freeland reflected, "We have deeply considered this, and one significant oversight was not openly acknowledging it as racism. It was another missed opportunity for us to stand up for what's right. Our aim was to shed light on Rachel's experience, but we know we must strive for more." Graebner concurred, adding, "We may not always be perfect, and we will undoubtedly make mistakes as we progress. But we will never shy away from the challenging dialogues that need to be had."
